You’ve probably heard of Fred Lo before. If you haven’t, then you’ve probably seen him around and just never put a name to the face. Fred has taken up a lot of roles on-stage, as Rolf in ‘The Sound of Music’ and as Prince Charming in ‘Cinderella’, for example. He was also the Filipino version of Stevie in TV5’s Hi-5 (which he pinpoints as the turning point of his career) and has performed as many a Disney prince at mall tours and the like.
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That aside, Fred has always been a self-proclaimed geek and proud. He loves comic books, anime, cartoons, toys, cosplaying, and practically any other hobby that can relate to his geeky persona.
Today, he is working in Hong Kong Disneyland – a dream that many, many artists in the Philippines aim to reach.
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Fred shares that the turning point in his career happened when he joined Hi-5 Philippines as this led him down the path of children’s entertainment. “It made me realize how much I like working with kids, being a kid-at-heart myself,” he shares. “I think my interest in making children happy was one of the biggest factors that led me to the idea of Hong Kong Disneyland.”
Interestingly enough, while working for Disney has always been one of Fred’s biggest dreams; his dreams weren’t necessarily limited to performing there. “I dreamt of a job that was related to Disney in any way, whether it was singing for them, lending my voice to a character, or even being part of the creative process. Being affiliated with Disney was always in my mind,” he shares.
Generally speaking, working in Disneyland was always an option in Fred’s future plans.
Although it wasn’t necessarily his goal, it was a path that he would gladly take – and now he has. “I had so many opportunities to audition for Disney in the past, but my career in Manila and the idea that I could still do more always kept me from taking that first step. But as time went by, my priorities began to change and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.”
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Fred’s journey into Disneyland has inspired a lot of people in my personal friends’ circle, which is what prompted me to interview him in the first place. My friends were seeking for tips on how to improve on their auditions, but Fred claims there is no formula when it comes to trying out.
“You just need to go in there prepared to give an amazing performance. At the end of the day, timing is what it all comes down to. If you auditioned and you didn’t get in, it doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough, it just means you’re not what they’re looking for at the moment. What I’ve learned is that they start the auditions looking for a specific look, voice, demeanor, etc. and only hire people as needed. So you just have to do your best and let fate do the rest.
” And it looks like fate was smiling down on Fred for he is now on the Disney journey many people dream of.
Follow Fred on Instagram to stay up-to-date with his Disney journey and his geeky life, in general.
